This invention relates to a heat sealable polyester packaging film producing a peelable seal when heat sealed to itself and other polyester materials, and more particularly this invention relates to multi-layer packaging structures having at least one layer of the film of the invention.
Polyesters are commonly used in the packaging of a wide range of foods, beverages, industrial articles, medicinal products and the like. For example, poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polyesters are used in the form of bottles, film, sheeting, thermoformed articles and the like for various packaging applications.
In many of these types of applications, consumers desire to have a readily peelable seal to enable easy access to the contents of a package. Peelable seals are those that have a mechanical strength which is, at the same time, sufficiently high to keep the package intact until it has to be opened by the consumer and sufficiently low to enable manual opening of the package without the use of any auxiliary instrument.
In the forming of peelable seals during the enclosure of an article in a package, manufacturers prefer a packaging material that is readily heat sealable to itself or another surface without the use of adhesives. Additionally, packaging materials capable of low temperature sealing are desirous to prevent damage of the articles or the packaging material itself.
Polyesters, while known to be heat sealable, are not capable of producing peelable seals. For films made of amorphous PET and PET copolyesters containing 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM), destructive film tear occurs when attempts are made to pull apart the seal. This type of bond failure is unacceptable for many packaging applications. Heat sealing of amorphous PET film to itself frequently causes crystallization of the PET. This leads to brittle bonds which are not useful for most packaging applications. Crystallized PET films, while heat sealable, are susceptible to having many processing difficulties and must be heat sealed at undesirably high temperatures in excess of 260xc2x0 C. Again destructive tearing is observed when these sealed films are pulled apart.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for polyester packaging films which are easily heat sealed at relatively low temperatures to produce peelable seals without destructive bond failure. Accordingly, it is to the provision of such that the present invention is primarily directed.
The present invention is a heat sealable packaging film, which produces a peelable seal. The film is formed from a blend of 99 to 75 weight percent of a copolyester and 1 to 25 weight percent of an epoxy-containing impact modifying polymer or a maleic anhydride-containing polymer.
The copolyester comprises diacid residues of at least 50 mole percent terephthalic acid, naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-cyclohexane-dicarboxylic acid, or mixtures thereof and diol residues of about 90 to 35 mole percent ethylene glycol and 10 to 65 mole percent of at least one of diethylene glycol or 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. The diacid residues and the diol residues are each based on 100 mole percent.
The impact modifying polymer comprises about 0.5 to 20 weight percent of epoxy-containing monomers selected from glycidyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, allyl glycidyl ether, 3,4-epoxy-1-butene, or a mixture thereof of any two or more monomers.
The maleic anhydride-containing polymer is selected from (i) a copolymer comprising about 80 to about 99 weight percent ethylene and about 1 to about 20 weight percent maleic anhydride, (ii) a grafted copolymer comprising about 1 to about 20 weight percent maleic anhydride and about 80 to about 99 weight percent olefin polymers, or (iii) a terpolymer comprising about 50 to about 98 weight percent ethylene, about 1 to about 20 weight percent maleic anhydride, and about 1 to about 30 weight percent alkyl acrylate.
Heat sealable packaging films that form a peelable seal can be made from a blend of (A) certain copolyesters and (B) epoxy-containing impact modifying polymers or maleic anhydride-containing polymers. Upon extrusion, the blends provide clear films and sheeting that are readily heat sealed to provide peelable bonds.
Heat sealing is conducted in a temperature range of about 85 to about 200xc2x0 C. The preferred heat sealing range is about 100 to about 150xc2x0 C. Sealing dwell times of about 0.5 to about 7 seconds are suitable. The heat sealable packaging film may be bonded to itself or to other polyester film or sheeting using conventional heat sealing methods. Other methods of heating the packaging film to an appropriate bonding temperature may also be used such as impulse heating, induction heating, infrared heating, radio frequency heating and the like.
The copolyester is present in the blend from about 99 to about 75 weight percent, based on the total weight of the components A and B. The copolyester comprises diacid residues of at least about 50 mole percent, preferably 80 mole percent, terephthalic acid, naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid or mixtures thereof. The copolyester comprises diol residues of about 90 to about 35 mole percent ethylene glycol and about 10 to about 65 mole percent of at least one of diethylene glycol or 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. The diacid residues and the diol residues are each based on 100 mole percent.
Mixtures of two or more dibasic acids and two or more glycols may be used if desired. Modifying amounts of dibasic acids containing from about four to about forty carbon atoms may be used including succinic, azelaic, adipic, sebacic, suberic, isophthalic, sulfoisophthalic, dimer and the like. Modifying amounts of glycols containing three to about ten carbon atoms may be used including propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, neopentyl glycol, 1,4-cyclohexane-dimethanol, 1,3-propanediol and the like.
The copolyesters are commercially available and/or may be prepared by batch or continuous processes using conventional melt phase or solid state condensation procedures well known in the art. Also, the polyester component may be obtained from post consumer waste, e.g., recycled polyester.
In preparing the copolyesters, the dibasic acid moiety may be derived from the acid, the acid chloride, or the lower alkyl esters. Any of the various isomers or mixtures of isomers of naphthalenedicarboxylic acid may be used but the 1,4-, 1,5-, 2,6-, and 2,7-isomers are preferred. Also cis, trans, or cis/trans mixtures of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol or of 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid may be used.
The copolyesters of this invention will generally have inherent viscosity (I.V.) values in the range of about 0.4 to about 1.5, preferably 0.5 to about 1.0. I.V. is measured at 25xc2x0 C. by dissolving 0.5 grams of polyester into 100 mL of a solvent mixture consisting of 60 percent by weight phenol and 40 percent by weight tetrachloroethane.
Typical additives for polyesters may be used if desired. Such additives include stabilizers, antioxidants, colorants, pigments, mold release agents, slip agents, carbon black, flame retardants and the like.
The epoxy-containing impact modifying polymers or maleic anhydride-containing polymers are present in the blend from about 1 to about 25 weight %, preferably about 2 to about 10 weight %, based on the total weight of the components A and B.
The impact modifying polymers are comprised of about 0.5 to 20 weight percent of epoxy-containing monomers selected from glycidyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, allyl glycidyl ether, 3,4-epoxy-1-butene, or a mixture of any two or more of such monomers. The impact modifying polymers may be prepared either by copolymerization or grafting.
In the former preparation, the epoxy-containing monomers above are copolymerized with other monomers such as ethylene and, optionally alkyl acrylates. Such epoxy-containing impact modifying polymers are well known in the art and are available from a plurality of manufacturers.
In the latter preparation, glycidyl methacrylate or glycidyl acrylate are grafted to form useful impact modifying polymers with polymers such as polyethylene; polypropylene; polybutene; ethylene based copolymers and terpolymers containing vinyl acetate, alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate where the alkyl group could be methyl, ethyl, butyl or 2-ethylhexyl; ethylene-propylene copolymers (EPR); ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers (EPDM); natural rubber; polybutadiene; polyisoprene; acrylonitrile-butadiene (nitrile rubber); styrene-butadiene (SBR); styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS); styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene (SEBS); acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS); methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS core-shell); organic silicone rubbers; elastomeric fluorohydrocarbons; elastomeric polyesters; polyurethanes; or combinations thereof. Of these materials, those based on polyethylene are preferred.
Preferred epoxy-containing impact modifying polymers comprise copolymers and terpolymers having the respective general formulas E/Y and E/X/Y wherein:
X represents residues derived from: 
wherein R1 is alkyl of up to about 8 carbon atoms, preferably alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R2 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, preferably hydrogen or methyl, and X constitutes about 1 to 40 weight percent, preferably 1 to weight percent, and most preferably 5 to 26 weight percent, of terpolymer E/X/Y;
Y represents residues derived from glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), glycidyl acrylate, allyl glycidyl ether, or 3,4-epoxy-1-butene which constitute about 0.5 to 20 weight percent, preferably about 0.5 to 10 weight percent, of copolymer E/Y or terpolymer E/X/Y; and
E represents ethylene residues, which constitute the remainder of copolymer E/Y, and terpolymer E/X/Y. Of these, copolymers based on ethylene-GMA (E/GMA) containing about 0.5 to 10 weight percent GMA residues are preferred and those containing about 1 to about 8 weight % are more preferred. The ethylene terpolymers preferably contain about 1 to about 30 weight % alkyl acrylate (such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, or butyl acrylate) and about 1 to about 10 weight % glycidyl methacrylate.
The maleic anhydride-containing polymers are copolymers comprising about 80 to about 99 weight percent ethylene and about 1 to about 20 weight percent. Preferably, ethylene is present at about 90 to about 99 weight percent and maleic anhydride is present at about 1 to about 10 weight percent. These polymers may also be terpolymers comprising about 50 to about 98 weight percent, preferably about 80 to about 98 weight percent, ethylene; about 1 to about 20 weight percent, preferably about 1 to about 10 weight percent, maleic anhydride; and about 1 to about 30 weight percent, preferably about 1 to about 10 weight percent, alkyl acrylate having the formula: 
wherein R1 is alkyl of up to about 8 carbon atoms and R2 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl.
Additionally, the maleic anhydride-containing polymers are a grafted copolymer obtained by grafting maleic anhydride to olefin homo- or copolymers. The grafted maleic anyhdride is present in an amount of about 1 to about 20 weight percent, preferably about 1 to about 10 weight percent, and the olefin homo- or co-polymers are present in an amount of about 80 to 99 weight percent, preferably 90 to 99 weight percent. The olefin polymers may include polyethylene; polypropylene; polybutene; ethylene based copolymers and terpolymers containing vinyl acetate, alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate where the alkyl group could be methyl, ethyl, butyl or 2-ethylhexyl; ethylene-propylene copolymers (EPR); ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers (EPDM); natural rubber; polybutadiene; polyisoprene; acrylonitrile-butadiene (nitrile rubber); styrene-butadiene (SBR); styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS); styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene (SEBS); acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS); methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS core-shell); or combinations thereof. Of these materials, those based on polyethylene are preferred. Other useful polymers for grafting maleic anhydride may include organic silicone rubbers; elastomeric fluorohydrocarbons; elastomeric polyesters; and polyurethanes.
The ethylene based polymers of the present invention preferably have melt flow index values ranging from about 0 to about 30 g/10 minutes when measured at 190xc2x0 C. with 2.16 kg weight according to ASTM D1238. However, those with melt index values ranging from about 1 to about 20 g/10 minutes are preferred.
Pellet blends of the (A) copolyester and (B) either the epoxy-containing impact modifying polymers or maleic anhydride-containing polymers may be extruded into film and sheeting for the purposes of this invention. The two polymers may be melt blended and pelletized as a blend prior to the extrusion process or they may be fed from separate streams into the extrusion process. The melt blending may be conducted using conventional compounding technology, such as the use of single or twin-screw extruders. Concentrate blends may also be used with the concentrate blends being let down to desired levels during the subsequent extrusion or coextrusion steps.
The heat sealable packaging films of this invention may be in the form of monolayer or multilayer structures. To form multilayer structures, the polyester blend of the present invention and another polymer such as PET are coextruded using techniques well known in the art. In such multilayer structures the blend layer will have a thickness in the range of about 0.1 mils (0.0025 mm) to about 10 mils (0.25 mm), while the PET layer will be about 0.5 mils (0.0125 mm) to about 40 mils (1.0 mm). Preferred laminates will have an overall thickness of about 5 (0.125 mm) to about 20 mils (0.5 mm). Recycled PET may be used in the multilayer structures if desired. In addition to the coextrusion process, the polyester blend layer may be laminated to an unmodified PET film or sheeting, PVC, or polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene with in-line or off-line lamination techniques well known in the art. The polyester blend may also be extrusion coated onto a preformed polymeric film or sheeting.
The monolayer and multilayer structures of this invention are useful for a wide range of packaging applications in the form of films or sheets. For example, they may be used to package foods such as cheeses, meats, and fruits; industrial articles such as screw drivers, pliers, saw blades, pencils, pens, and gauges; detergents; soaps; personal care products such as hand lotions, cosmetics, and perfumes; as well as medicinal products.
This invention can be further illustrated by the following examples of preferred embodiments thereof, although it will be understood that these examples are included merely for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention unless otherwise specifically indicated.